Cover Image: The Louder I Will Sing

The Louder I Will Sing

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Member Reviews

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

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'The Louder I Will Sing' is an absolutely phenomenal, breathtaking, heartshattering and powerful memoir of Lee Lawrence following the unlawful shooting of his mother, Cherry Groce, in 1985.

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I found this book so moving, I knew a little about the case and a bit more about the riots , but this account, the story of Lee and his mother Cherry and everything they went through brings the true face and emotions to the time and events. I learned so much more from this than I ever learnt from school or text books. This is a powerful read, heartbreaking and shows how long the journey towards any kind of justice is, even when still fighting for it. An interesting and moving must read, for your own education

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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I was inspired to read this book after reading about the author’s mum in Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race. The authors mother was shot and paralysed by the police when he was 11. The book tells the story of his and his family’s fight for justice as well as what it was like growing up as a black man in Brixton.
I don’t often go for non fiction but this felt like an important read and that’s definitely what I found. It’s thought provoking and also a bit scary that very little has changed in some regards since the 1985.
A must read for anyone who wants to educate themselves further following the BLM movement.

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The Louder I Will Sing is emotive, inspiring and enraging all at the same time. Lees fight is one everyone should be aware of. This is a book that needs to be included on school reading lists.

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I can't believe I needed over a month to read this book. Normally, I am a very fast reader - but this book... This book is not an easy one to read and if I, as a white person says so, I can't even imagine how a Person of Colour must feel when reading this book.

When we speak of racism, we think of the United States of America. The truth is, racism is not just a problem of the United States, but still present everywhere in the world. This book is a very good example of this.
The book is divided in two parts - chapters which happened Before and chapters happening After. The event triggering the Before and After is the death of Lee's mother who had been shot by a police officer. In case anyone is wondering why this is such a big event - the author is black. So is his mother, who has been bound to a wheelchair after the shot. This is absolutely devastating to her, since she loved dancing.
The books tells the story of the Before - the events before the shooting, the shooting itself and how the family dealt with it afterwards - and the After - after the mother's death, Lee goes to court because the bullet hadn't been able to be removed properly, eventually causing the mother's death. I am going to use her name from now on, because she wasn't just Lee Lawrence's mother. Her name was Cherry Groce. Her name was Cherry Groce and she was slowly murdered by a police officer.
I couldn't read this book as fast as I usually do. I had to pause every other while because this book is intense. It's emotional. The thing that made me shiver the most was: "I can't breathe", words uttered by George Floyd earlier this year - but also words uttered years before by Cherry Groce when she was shot.
Racism is not just a problem of the United States. Racism is everywhere and unless we do something about, it's not going to go away. Remember the victims. Remember their families. Do what you can to make sure racism isn't carried on to the next generations.

I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Growing up in London during the 1970 & 80's I was aware of the Brixton 'riots' in 1985 but not of the reasons behind it.
I was shocked upon reading this book the back story and the continual fight for justice by Lee and his family. Everything they have had to deal with in the last 35 years is shocking yet also humbling that all they really wanted was to make things change...a continual process. This is a good read and has taught me that we should ALL imagine a day in the life of others, you never know what someone is going/been through. To quote the book 'decisions, ignorance and opinions should not be based on prejudice but hard fact'.
A must read for all ages but especially those who want to educate themselves about racial injustice.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read & review this book.

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On 28th September 1985, Cherry Groce was shot by an armed policeman in her own home. The bullet fragments pressing into her spine were unable to be removed and she was left paraplegic. Her son, Lee Lawrence, was 11 at the time and witnessed the incident.

It was only earlier this year that I had even heard about the Cherry Groce shooting and the resulting Brixton riots of 1985. In the UK, I think we have a tendency to willingly supress incidents of racism and injustice while condemning the same of other countries. Stories like Lee's need to be heard now more than ever.

In The Louder I Will Sing, we learn of Lee's experience growing up in Brixton as a young Black man, and of his life before and after he saw a policeman wrongly shoot his mother. We see his battle to have to police be held accountable for their actions that night and recognise the damage they wrought to the whole family.

I found Lee's story very powerful, at times shocking and inspiring. It is both well-written and informative. This is a heart-breaking story of a man's fight for justice told with an ultimately hopeful tone.

I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to educate themselves about race and particularly experiences of growing up Black in Britain. Lee Lawrence's story is definitely one that deserves to be heard.

"The more you refuse to hear my voice, the louder I will sing."

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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"The more you refuse to hear my voice, the louder I will sing."

The Louder I Will Sing tells the story of Lee Lawrence and his family's fight for justice after his mother, Cherry Groce was wrongfully shot during a police raid on their Brixton home on 28th September 1985.

This memoir flits between "Before" and "After" the home invasion, which shattered Cherry Groce's spine, leaving her unable to walk again. It talks about their journey in search of justice and all of the hurdles that they had to overcome along the way.

One point Lawrence makes really stood out to me:
"How many other people have wasted chances because they didn't know the right person to explain that the chance exists?"

In my opinion, in terms of the criminal justice system and a lot of these wider processes (such as inquests, which is the context within which this statement was made), there is a real lack of public awareness and information about how to navigate the process. This information gap disproportionately affects working-class communities and is, in my opinion, one way in which these systems should be reformed in order to achieve real justice.

I really liked Lawrence's writing style: it was straightforward and accessible. His writer's voice is so distinct that I felt like I was listening to him speak his story aloud (though I was reading the e-book).

To close off the book, Lawrence shares some statistics and information about policing today: how it has changed and what still needs to change. I really appreciated this as I think it gives the reader (esp. those with less knowledge of the system) some insight into just how much needs to change and how institutionalised racism has become embedded in the British police force. I also really appreciated Lawrence's appraisal of community policing and how essential that practice is. He also talks about his own advocacy roles and how he is trying to enact change in British policing, which I really respected and admired.

The prologue, where Cherry Groce is dancing, had me close to tears right from the off. The same can be said for the epilogue, where she features again. The moments where Lawrence is talking about his new role as carer to his mother were also very moving. Though most of this book talks about policing and institutional racism, there are points at which poverty is discussed and Lawrence talks about his own experiences trying to make ends meet and trying to cope as a child dependent on his mother's benefits. Though written about the 1980s-1990s, so much of what Lawrence experienced then is still happening today and I think reading this in light of the UK Government's decision not to provide hungry kids with free school meals over the half term and Christmas holidays just made this all the more devastating.

The Louder I Will Sing is an excellent non-fiction book and one I would highly recommend to others. It is accessible, personal, well researched and extremely moving. Thank you for sharing your story, Lee Lawrence.

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In 1985, Cherry Groce, mother of six, was shot by an armed policeman following a planned raid. The bullet fragments were shattered into her spine, and she was left paraplegic. Lee Lawrence, her son was 11 at the time, and he lost the vibrant Mum who was always dancing. He also lost his faith in the police, and became her carer, giving up his childhood to care for his beloved Mum.

In 2011, his Mum died. When a doctor requests a post mortem be carried out, this is the start of a long journey to some kind of justice for her death, as well as the battle of his life.

Divided into before and after, Lee talks about his experiences of growing up as a young, Black man in Brixton. The uprisings, the community support, the fear and racism he and so many others experienced at the hands of white people, including the police.

Fighting to get answers he manages to secure legal aid, and representation, and gains access to a report carried out after the shooting. This showed massive failures in communication and intelligence, and the Met eventually accepted they had made fundamental errors that led to an innocent woman being shot. Lee goes on to sit on advisory boards to provide guidance for police forces when dealing with race. He qualifies as a mediator and believes firmly in restorative justice.

This is an important book, detailing the reality of being Black, and just how much work there is still to be done, especially with the recent case of George Floyd in the U.S. It is exceptionally well written and whilst there is sadness, there is a lack of bitterness which is inspiring. Lee uses his experience to be a force for good, and that is the message that I took from this book. Bad experiences can either make us bitter, or better. A wonderful testament to his mother Cherry, and a man who goes on to live a successful and meaningful life despite real hardship and tragedy.

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It struck me that, at the time of her shooting, Cherry was lying on the ground shouting, “I can’t breathe”. Words we have, sadly, heard another individual say only a few months ago. The incident might have been different, as was the country involved; however, it’s clear to see that the underlying issues are pathetically the same.

It’s 35 years since Cherry Groce was shot, and yet as a global society we’re no further along in terms of removing institutional racism. This book not only looks at Cherry’s family and the impact her shooting, and resultant disability had on them all, but at the wider politics of the time. It shows how slowly the wheels of justice can move, and how important acknowledging wrongs really is.

This is a well written, and informative read. If, like me, you had no idea who Cherry Groce was, I strongly suggest you get your hands on this book now.

The Stars
A strong 4 stars. Lee has done a brilliant job of blending fact with personal memories and opinion, to make this a moving and inspiring read.

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“Sing loudly enough and one day they will hear you”

On 28th September 1985, Lee Lawrence's mother Cherry Groce was wrongly shot by police during a raid on her Brixton home. The bullet shattered her spine and she never walked again. In the chaos that followed, 11-year-old Lee watched in as the News falsely pronounced his mother dead. In Brixton, already a powder keg because of the deep racism that the community was experiencing, it was the spark needed to trigger two days of rioting that saw buildings brought down by petrol bombs, cars torched and shops looted. For Lee, this lit a flame that would burn for the next 29 years through his legal (and emotional) fight to get the police to be held accountable for their actions and to recognise the irreparable damage they caused to a mother and her family.

This is one of those books that makes you shocked about events and history left out of the curriculum. Although I had heard of the Brixton ‘riots’ I hadn’t heard of this case and the impact it had. This book was heart-breaking, informative and incredibly interesting and switches between before and after the death of his mother which I really liked. It’s a powerful memoir about growing up in the UK as a young black man, and institutional racism that underlies the police force. Lee’s journey and fight for justice is both inspiring and frustrating because as the reader looking in you can see the injustices that occurred very clearly. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to educate themselves about race.

The Postscript is also a must-read part of the book, as it talks about the evening of 25th May 2020 in Minneapolis where the police responded to a call where the shop assistant claimed a customer had nought a packet of cigarettes with a counterfeit bill. This customer in question was George Floyd. What happened next resulted in a unprecedented global response to police brutality and contributed to the ongoing debate about racism in our society.

“It’s not enough to think things will just happen: we’ve got to keep applying the pressure to make sure that change is permanent”

Thank you Net Galley and The Little, Brown Book Group UK for allowing me to read this advanced copy!! I will be buying a physical copy!

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I bought this book, not knowing anything about the case. I can't believe I am 30 and did not know anything about this terrible incident its aftermath!!! I think this history should be taught in schools!!!
I found this book heartbreaking, and incredibly fascinating.
Hearing about how hard Lee and the Lawrence family had to work in order to get justice for their mother is shocking!!!
It angered me that this happened at all, and it angered me that I didn't know about the incident in the first place.

I am so pleased I have read this, and I will be recommending this book to everyone!!!

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